Use Leftover Candle Wax for Firestarters

I save our empty toilet and paper towel tubes, stuff them with waste paper and junk mail or even pine cones. Then I melt my small, leftover candle pieces in a old candle warmer, or in a tin can that is placed in a pot of water on the stove just until it melts. I pour the melted candle over the tubes. Make sure you either do this over a garbage can or stack of papers so you don't spill candle wax anywhere! That's a whole other tip! ;)

I use these little firestarters when we go camping to start our fires or even to start our woodburning stove up from a cold start! Makes starting fires a little easier. Kids can help stuff them all year round and dream about summer camping!

I also use the cardboard egg cartons but I put some sawdust into the compartments before adding the wax (hubby does woodwork so we always have an ample supply! Could used shredded paper too but I worry about the inks if used indoors - I am sensitive to odors and some burning papers smell bad to me.) After the wax has cooled, I score the cartons so they tear easily by hand. One or two 'eggs' worth gets a good blaze started.

For melting the wax, I like to use a big, tall can (like V8 comes in) so there is no chance of getting water into the wax. I also preform a pouring spout with pliers so it goes just where I want it to go.